On May 11-12, a business mission, organized by the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry took place in Beirut, Lebanon.
On the first day, the MCCI delegation held a number of business meetings and took part in the Middle East Forum (meeting) of foreign graduates of Russian (Soviet) universities.
Speaking at the opening of the Forum at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Lebanon, the President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Vladimir Platonov, said: "Such meetings are an important element of what is called "people's diplomacy" and the importance of such events cannot be overestimated. After all, these are not just meetings of graduates, who have not seen each other for a long time. It is a meeting of people from different countries, united by a common past, who lived and studied in Russia, people who know and understand our country and are not afraid to work with it.
That is why the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry is actively working with alumni associations. It is important for us to establish cooperation with other countries' businesses. We regard you as people who, in their homeland, can explain that it is possible and necessary to work with Russia. After all, you know for a fact that we don't drink vodka from samovars in the morning, and there are no polar bears playing balalaikas in the streets.”
Realizing the importance of the rapprochement of the educational system and business for the training of highly demanded specialists, in November 2018, the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry became one of the founders of the "International Club of Employers” Association. "This is the first national project in Russia that unites the spheres of business and education, which is formed through the already existing and future potential graduates of Russian (Soviet) universities," said Mr. Platonov.
He told the participants of the Forum that currently the Club works with alumni associations of 157 countries. It provides assistance in finding employment both in Russia and abroad, maintains a database of graduates and their current occupations. It is an organization, whose main goal is to continue interaction with foreign students after they have graduated from a university, returned home, and began to work, applying the knowledge gained.
"For those, who are still studying, we carry out the work of organizing practical involvement, training and employment. This approach has caused an enthusiastic response from the capital's companies - members of the Chamber,” - said the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We have brought to Lebanon a number of concrete proposals for the creation of joint projects. I hope that the meetings, which will be held in the coming days, will contribute to the development of both cordial and business relations between the representatives of our regions. Once again, I welcome all participants of the Forum and wish them successful and productive work.”
Во встрече приняли участие Чрезвычайный и полномочный посол Российской Федерации в Ливанской Республике Александр Засыпкин, Министр образования и просвещения Ливана Акрам Шхиб, президент Всемирной ассоциации выпускников Владимир Четий, а также представители Ассоциаций выпускников из 23 стран.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Lebanon, Mr. Alexander Zasypkin, Minister of Education and Science of Lebanon, Mr. Akram Shhib, President of the World Alumni Association Vladimir Chetiy and representatives of Alumni Associations from 23 countries took part in the meeting.
"It is very important that the graduates, having joined our culture and traditions, become a bridge of friendship and mutual understanding," said Mr. Zasypkin in his speech.
Второй день бизнес-миссии Московской торгово-промышленной палаты в Ливан был посвящён деловым встречам.
Члены столичной делегации приняли участие в круглом столе, посвященном совместным бизнес-проектам предпринимателей Москвы и Ливана. Владимир Платонов рассказал о деятельности палаты и о том, как она может способствовать выходу ливанских компаний на российский рынок.
The second day of the Lebanon business mission of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry was dedicated to business meetings.
Members of the Moscow delegation took part in the round table, devoted to joint business projects of the capital and Lebanon’s entrepreneurs. Mr. Platonov delineated the activities of the Chamber and how it can serve as the point of entry for Lebanese companies to join the Russian market.
He also presented a number of specific projects, in particular, a comprehensive program of tourism development prepared by the National Tourism Union.
During the event, the State Duma Deputy, Mr. Viktor Zubarev, spoke about investment opportunities in the Krasnoyarsk region. In turn, representatives of Lebanese companies shared their projects and wishes for their cooperation with Russia.
Further on, discussed were the issues of interaction between institutions of higher learning and the association of graduates, geared to promote Russian education. Considerable interest was given to the projects, presented by Mr. Andrey Demidov, a member of the MCCI’s delegation and the owner of the Data yoga company. He talked about language maps for quick immersion in new languages for tourism and educational industries, the research and treatment program for gadget and gaming addictions, as well as free educational marathons for training in data visualization skills.
Mr. Platonov’s meeting with the Alumni Association of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in Lebanon signalled the end of the event. The meeting focused on cooperation between the two countries and the assistance that Russian graduates can provide in this regard. Also, a number of projects were discussed, including those prepared by the Guild of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship. Specific agreements were reached as well in the field of water purification for medical and domestic needs, and in the field of mutual development of tourism.